A popular jazz venue in downtown Johannesburg is closing down. The Marabi Club was founded less than a decade ago during a ...

In this first section, we look at the early pre-Jazz musical roots in South Africa, exploring marabi, ghoema, and isicathamiya, and find out how these styles came to inform a uniquely South African ...

“I grew up singing marabi,” said the club's resident vocalist Mbalizethu Siluma, 40, who sings soul and R&B, inviting the snappily dressed guests to dance after dinner. Despite the attention ...

“I grew up singing marabi,” said the club’s resident vocalist Mbalizethu Siluma, 40, who sings soul and R&B, inviting the snappily dressed guests to dance after dinner. Despite the attention ...

A resident vocalist Mbalizethu Siluma performs at The Marabi Club in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) ...